Information Package
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Program of American Culture and Literature (English)

ACL452

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN DRAMA

Course Code
ACL452
Semester
Eighth Term (Spring)
Theory+Practice
3 + 0
ECTS
4
Course TypeCompulsory Course
Course LevelBachelor's Degree
Year of Study4
SemesterEighth Term (Spring)
ECTS4
Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

  1. Identify the dramatic movements and narrative techniques developed in contemporary America drama during the modern period.
  2. Analyze the relation between the staging techniques and the dramatic texts.
  3. Discuss the dramatics texts selected from contemporary American drama within American cultural discourse.
Mode of DeliveryFace to face
PrerequisitesNo
Recommended Optional Programme Components
Course DescriptionBuilding up on Modern American Drama, this course familiarizes students with the inventive ways that inform dramatic structure and theatrical design observed in American drama produced after the 1960s with a specific focus on post-dramatic theories. It explores the critical and innovative frameworks contemporary playwrights, such as Edward Albee, Sam Shepard, James Baldwin, David Mamet, August Wilson, Marsha Norman, Tony Kushner, David Henry Hwang, and Wendy Wasserstein, adopt to respond to the issues of subjectivity, identity politics, globalization, democracy and drama?s relationship to other genres.
Course Contents
WEEK TOPICS
1st Week Introduction to the Course - Survey of Modern American Drama
2nd Week Edward Albee, The Zoo Story (1959)
3rd Week Edward Albee, The Zoo Story (1959), Presentations
4th Week David Rabe, Sticks and Bones (1971)
5th Week David Rabe, Sticks and Bones (1971), Presentations
6th Week Sam Shephard, Buried Child (1979)
7th Week Sam Shephard, Buried Child (1979), Presentations
8th Week MIDTERM EXAM
9th Week Marsha Norman, `night Mother (1981)
10th Week Marsha Norman, `night Mother (1981), Presentations
11th Week August Wilson, Fences (1985)
12th Week August Wilson, Fences (1985), Presentations and Movie Review (IN CLASS)
13th Week David Mamet, Oleanna (1992)
14th Week David Mamet, Oleanna (1992), Presentations
15th Week NO CLASS
16th Week Revision and Drama Review Submissions
Recommended or Required ReadingAlbee, Edward. The American Dream and The Zoo Story. Plume, 1997.
Bigsby, Cristopher. Modern American Drama: 1945-2000. Cambridge UP, 2000.
Hwang, David Henry. M. Butterfly. Plume, 1993.
Kushner, Tony. Angels in America. NHB, 2007.
Mamet, David. The Duck Variations. Grove P, 1994.
Shepard, Sam. The Buried Child. Vintage, 2009.
Wasserstein, Wendy. Isn't it Romantic? Nelson Doubleday, 1984.
Wilson, August. Fences. Plume, 1986.
Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
  • Lecture
  • Discussion
  • Project
  • Other
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Quantity Percentage (%)
Mid-term 1 30
Assignment 1 15
Presentation of Article 1 15
Total(%) 60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%) 60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%) 40
Total(%) 100
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration (Hour) Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam 1 2 2
Preparation for Quiz 1 2 2
Individual or group work 14 3 42
Preparation for Final exam 1 8 8
Course hours 14 3 42
Preparation for Midterm exam 1 8 8
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam 1 2 2
Homework 2 3 6
Quiz 2 2 4
Total Work Load116
Total Work Load / 30 (h)3.86
ECTS Credit of the Course4
Language of InstructionEnglish
Work Placement(s)No

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

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